Some days, nothing but a big, soft chocolate chip cookie will do. Do you get cravings for them the way I do? Without a doubt it’s the taste of these classic treats – the sweetness, the melty-chocolateness – but also the nostalgia. They were the definitive warm-from-the-oven, mom-made cookie from my childhood and I suspect from many American childhoods. No store-bought tube of chemicals for my mom – no way! White flour, shiny white sugar & dark brown sugar, a coupla sticks of butter, and an embarrassing amount of Tollhouse chocolate chips. I make them a wee bit differently from mom, but I feel just as happy when I eat them.

For these cookies you’ll need unsweetened Sunbutter sunflower seed spread and a stevia-blend sweetener such as the one from Natvia. If you prefer, you can use coconut sugar. Lily’s Sweets makes fabulous stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips that are vegan.

On a completely different note, I want to thank reader Zaynub Elshamy for taking the time to send me an email about my e-book, TEAse Me: 15 Plant-based Recipes Inspired by the World’s Favorite Beverage (free w/ email subscription; $5.99 to purchase the PDF). Zaynub is a tea-lover just as I am and she shared with me an ode she wrote that nicely sums up what is so wonderful about the brew:

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda and vanilla powder (if using vanilla extract, add along with the wet ingredients). Drain the dates and add them to a bowl of a food processor. Add the Sunbutter, aqua faba and stevia-sugar (or coconut sugar). Process until smooth and creamy.

Scrape the Sunbutter mixture into the flour mixture, add the chocolate chips and stir until well-combined. This is a very stiff and sticky dough.

Dip a large spoon in water and scoop up about 2 tablespoons of dough. Drop onto a prepared baking sheet and press into a circle about 1/2" thick. Continue with the remainder of the dough. These make big cookies so if you want smaller cookies, scoop up about 1 tablespoon of dough.

Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, swapping the pans halfway through for even baking. Let cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes before removing and placing on a cooling rack. Cool completely before storing.